In a span of just over four weeks in winter 2008, 14 Architecture students designed and constructed a house in Mexico that now provides shelter and permanence for a family of 11. Led by Professor Silvia Acosta and organized through Casita Linda, a nonprofit that builds houses for Mexican families living in extreme poverty, the Wintersession studio was a labor-intensive, challenging and ultimately moving experience for everyone involved. Most dramatically, the group’s research into materials and construction techniques led to a new house design that Casita Linda has adopted as its standard model.
Like many families living in the rural outskirts of San Miguel de Allende, the Casarez-Guerrero family had no access to running water or electricity. Miguel, Maria and their nine children were squatting in a neighbor’s shed and doing their cooking in a cardboard shack. Silvia Acosta had proposed a RISD studio devoted to rethinking and constructing a Casita Linda house; the organization took her up on her offer and matched her class with the family. As Acosta explained to the group before they left Providence, her intention was broader than building a house for a single family in need: she hoped to improve on Casita Linda’s design by “exploring alternative and recycled materials, new relationships between architectural elements and siting possibilities.”
The group began their research in Mexico by meeting with previous recipients of Casita Linda houses to learn about their experiences. One important factor quickly became clear: because of its expense and poor thermal qualities, the concrete used to build their houses was not an ideal material. In the search for alternatives, the students hit upon adobe — a natural material that, though associated with traditional Mexican architecture, is often rejected by the current generation in favor of materials perceived as more progressive or innovative.
As the class soon discovered, adobe provides undeniable advantages. In addition to being available in the local ground and essentially free, its “thickness provides excellent thermal insulation,” Acosta explains. Adobe construction would also allow the designers to create vaults and arches, which would vastly increase the interior volume and allow for a loft level — an invaluable addition to a house with a 220-sq ft footprint.
Construction began as soon as the new plans were finalized. After a rigorous week of grading and foundation preparation, the group began working with adobe blocks and mortar to construct walls, arches and vaults. New design elements include a covered open-air cooking/washing area and a gutter system to catch rainwater; and as Acosta had hoped, they found ways to incorporate recycled materials, including floor tiles salvaged from another construction site and glass bottles to detail a pair of windows. She noted with delight as the plans became reality that “the realization of the house far exceeded our initial expectations.”
Finishing the house just hours before they had to leave Mexico, the 14 students got to take a quick last look at their creation and say goodbye to the Casarez-Guerrero family, with whom they had become friendly during the month. Now, back in Providence, the group is following up its work with documentation and a catalogue of variations on the design for future use by Casita Linda. Not surprisingly, the organization is looking forward to working with RISD again soon. “We opened the way for future opportunities,” Acosta reflects, “but ultimately, the most rewarding feelings stem from knowing that we really made a difference in the lives of one family and their immediate community.”
The Architecture students responsible for the design and construction of the Casita Linda project are:
Amy Arguedas MArch ’09
Laura Blosser MArch ’10
Roselle Curwen MArch ’09
Cassandra D’Alessandro MArch ’09
Joshua Fiedler MArch ’09
Avi Forman MArch ’10
Chelsea Limbird MArch ’09
Jessica Martin MArch ’09
Romy Olivera MArch ’10
Casey Ramirez MArch ’10
Elizabeth Snow MArch ’09
Ryo Tsutsui MArch ’09
Damir Vukovljak MArch ’09
Seth Wiseman MArch ’09
